US Keeps Low Key about Universiade Outing

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, August 19, 2003

US Keeps Low Key about Universiade Outing

World sports power house the United States has played down its chances of dominance at the upcoming World University Games.

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World sports power house the United States has played down its chances of dominance at the upcoming World University Games.

Cecil Bleiker, media officer of the US delegation, said the Americans are unlikely to repeat their glory at the past Universiades as they will not compete in all sports in Daegu.

"It's hard to say how many medals we will win," Bleiker told Xinhua.

The United States is to field a 226-member delegation to Daegu, with 135 athletes competing in nine sports at the Aug. 21-31 event.But US athletics stars will miss the track and field events, which have the most gold medals on offer, as the Universiade program collides with the World Athletics Championships, which take place Aug. 23-31 in Paris.

Bleiker, however, said US is expected to pick up gold in archery, swimming, diving and basketball.

Vic Wunderle, silver medalist of the men's recurve at the 2000 Olympic in Sydney, and Mary Zorn, who won the women's compound at the 2003 World Target Championships, will spearhead the US archery team.

The swimming squad includes Beth Botsford, winner of the women's 100m backstroke and 400m medley relay, and Clay Kirkland, who grabbed the gold of men's 200m freestyle and silver of the 800m freestyle relay.

Bleiker tipped South Korea as the biggest favorite for the top finisher in the overall medals table.

"After all, they are competing on home soil," he said.

The United States topped the medals tally for five successive Universiades from 1991 to 1999, before it surrendered the leading position to China in 2001.

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